The Eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) is a large New World sparrow. They breed in brushy areas across eastern North America. There has been one record of this species as a vagrant to Western Europe: a single bird in Great Britain in 1966. The name "towhee" is an onomatopoeic description of one of the towhee's most common calls.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withThe Eastern towhee is a striking species of sparrow. Adults have rufous sides, a white belly, and a long dark tail with white edges. The eyes are red, and white for birds in the southeast. Males have a black head, upper body, and tail; these parts are brown in the female. Juveniles are brown overall. Eastern towhees of all ages and both sexes generally are unmistakable and are not known to co-exist with the similar Western spotted towhee.
Eastern towhees occur throughout the eastern United States and southeast Canada. Northern populations are migratory and spend winter in the southern United States. Eastern towhees inhabit forest edges, old-field successional vegetation, and shrubby areas.
Eastern towhees are active during the day and spend the majority of their time near the ground. They primarily eat on the ground, although they also glean from vegetation. When foraging on the ground Eastern towhees use a scratching technique where both feet kick back simultaneously. When foraging above ground the majority of time is spent gleaning foliage or from twigs, branches, and trunks. They never catch food out of the air. When not breeding, Eastern towhees become less territorial and may gather in mixed-species flocks. The most common call of towhees is a short two-part call rising in pitch and sometimes also called a "chewink" call. Their song is a short ''drink your teeeeea'' lasting around one second, starting with a sharp call ("drink!") and ending with a short trill "teeeeea".
Eastern towhees are omnivores and eat a variety of plant and animal matter. Their diet includes seeds and fruits, invertebrates, and occasionally small amphibians, snakes, and lizards.
The breeding season of Eastern towhees begins in spring and continues to late summer. During this time males are very territorial and defend their nesting territory by singing from a high perch. Eastern towhees nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs. The female is responsible for nest construction, which takes about three to five days. She then lays a clutch of 2 to 6 eggs and incubates them for 12 or 13 days. After hatching both parents feed the young, which fledge 10-12 days later and are dependent on parental care for about another month.
Eastern towhees don't face any major threats at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Eastern towhee is 11,000,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Eastern towhees play an important role in their ecosystem. Due to their diet habits, these birds consume pest insects and help to disperse the seeds of various plants.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...